Alex Delton, Skylar Thompson ready for long, friendly Kansas State QB competition
Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson are most likely in for a long quarterback competition that won't end until Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder names a starter in August.
That could make for an awkward relationship between Delton and Thompson, a pair of good friends and teammates, but they seem determined to support each other throughout the process and put their team first.
"We compete at everything we do, whether it be a workout, running at the end of practice, at meetings answering a question, anything ... We compete," Delton said. "But the competition has been a positive for our team. I feel like it has been a positive. It’s not like we dislike each other or anything. We are buddies. It’s been constructive. I feel like we are going in the right direction, and it gives our team the best chance to succeed in the fall."
For now, they are pushing each other like never before in spring practice.
"I just try to go into it thinking, this is going to be my best practice of the year. I'm going to get better at each practice," Thompson said. "I am really focusing on not making the same mistake twice. That is the fun of this game — competition. It’s wide open right now. I am just trying to do my best to help the team and have fun with it."
Who is off to the early lead in this quarterback derby?
Well, no one. Snyder said it's currently a tie. Delton and Thompson are both practicing with the first-string offense. They each have moments of brilliance when they look like the future of K-State's offense. And they both have their days when they look destined for back-up duty.
"They really have picked up where they left off, and it is very competitive," Snyder said. "There isn’t a No. 1 right now. But between the two of them we will have a No. 1. I just want to keep it competitive. I like the attitude and the approach. They are very, very competitive, but they help each other by the same token. They are there for each other."
"They have had their flaws, both in the passing game and the running game. But they are fewer and fewer."
There have been many competitive QB battles at K-State over the years, but this one feels particularly fascinating. Delton and Thompson both won big games last season and proved they are capable of starting. But only one of them can take the first snap come Sept. 1 against South Dakota.
A look back at what both accomplished last season:
Thompson, now a sophomore, came off the bench to help K-State beat Kansas and Texas Tech and then lead the Wildcats to dramatic victories over Oklahoma State and Iowa State. He completed 51 of 83 passes for 689 yards and five touchdowns, adding 267 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
His teammates called him "a natural."
Thompson started K-State's last four games while Delton recovered from concussions. But it was Delton who ended the year with a bang by rushing for 158 yards and three touchdowns in a Cactus Bowl victory over UCLA.
Delton was the team's second-leading rusher despite playing just seven games. He ran for 500 yards and eight touchdowns, adding 637 yards and five touchdowns through the air.
But the real highlight came in the Cactus Bowl. Winning MVP honors in that game increased his confidence.
"Alex has had some serious mojo since the Cactus Bowl," senior right tackle Dalton Risner said. "He needed that. Alex has always been very soft-spoken, very reserved. I don’t know if that is because he didn’t think he had earned his way or had been around the team long enough, but he is a lot more open. I saw a lot of good leadership from him this winter, and he has been more vocal this spring."
Providing leadership is Delton's new motto.
"This year, I feel like this is potentially my team," Delton said. "I take that ownership. They expect me to perform at a high level every day and they need me. So it is up to me to step up to the plate and perform, just being comfortable in myself, in my game and as a leader."
Delton and Thompson will work to prove themselves in all areas throughout spring practice.
Everything they do now could help them win the starting job in the summer.
This story was originally published April 10, 2018 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Alex Delton, Skylar Thompson ready for long, friendly Kansas State QB competition."